Spitfire from HMS Eagle to Malta - twice.

[Graham Boak]

I've recently been informed about American Flt. Sgt. Leroy Morsheimer. He was seconded from 611 Sq to Malta, and delivered a Spitfire from HMS Eagle during Operation Bowery. There was an excess of pilots on Malta at the time, and the less experienced pilots were weeded out to be sent home. With only 136.5 hours, he left Malta in BOAC's CW20, only to return with another Spitfire in Operation Style some days later. He was then packed of back to 611 in the UK, in a Lodestar this time.

I know that several senior (and not so senior) officers made more than one trip, acting a leaders for the formations, but I hadn't heard of NCOs doing this. The listing of pilots for Operation Style in Shores/Cull's books omit the names of five pilots: where these all similarly rejected NCOs who were sitting in Gibraltar, awaiting a trip home, only to find themselves conscripted anew?

Brian?